Centene (NYSE:CNC) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $1.43 EPS

Posted by George Bondi on Jul 28th, 2026

Centene (NYSE:CNC – Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The company reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $1.43, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.64 billion. Centene had a positive return on equity of 5.57% and a negative net margin of 3.25%.

Centene Stock Up 0.8%

CNC stock opened at $63.94 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $31.57 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.07. Centene has a 12 month low of $25.08 and a 12 month high of $69.36. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $63.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CNC. Mizuho set a $63.00 target price on Centene and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Raymond James Financial set a $75.00 price target on Centene in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Centene from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Centene from $39.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $64.61.

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Trending Headlines about Centene

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

Positive Sentiment: Centene reported second-quarter revenue of $53.58 billion, well above the $47.64 billion analyst consensus. Adjusted diluted EPS was $2.51, compared with expectations of $1.08, while GAAP diluted EPS was $2.19. Centene Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
Positive Sentiment: The company raised 2026 guidance to adjusted EPS above $4.80, versus the approximately $3.49 consensus estimate, and projected revenue of $193.5 billion to $197.5 billion, ahead of the $190.5 billion consensus. GAAP EPS guidance was raised to above $3.11. Centene Raises 2026 Outlook on Profit, Revenue Growth
Positive Sentiment: Operating trends improved meaningfully: the health benefits ratio declined to 89.6% from 93.0% a year earlier, while commercial HBR fell to 79.2%. Management also cited stronger performance in Medicare Advantage and prescription-drug plans, supporting the improved outlook. Centene Reports $53.6 Billion in Second Quarter Revenue
Positive Sentiment: Centene generated $3.6 billion in operating cash flow during the quarter, adding support for balance-sheet flexibility and ongoing operations.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Centene by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 52,602 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,165,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Centene by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 7,465 shares of the company’s stock valued at $307,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Centene by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $450,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the period. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Centene by 8.0% in the second quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,073 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after buying an additional 374 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in Centene by 29.8% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,897 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares during the period. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Centene Company Profile

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Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) is a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise that specializes in providing services to government-sponsored and national health programs. The company primarily acts as a managed care organization, delivering healthcare coverage and administering benefits for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare Advantage, and individual marketplace plans. Centene also contracts with federal and state agencies to manage specialty care programs and community-based services for vulnerable populations.

Centene’s offerings extend beyond traditional insurance to include a range of specialty and support services.